AWMC Seminar Program: Zhuan Kai Lim

Application of AnMBR and MBfR for carbon and nitrogen recovery and removal from domestic wastewater

Abstract: Due to the paradigm shift towards energy positivity in wastewater treatment, anaerobic systems have gained favoured over their aerobic counterparts such as conventional activated sludge (CAS) process. The former has proven operational benefits such as reduced operating costs and significant energy recovery. Combination of anaerobic system with membrane has effectively solved the issue of slow microorganism growth and biomass loss, while membrane fouling still remains prevailling. A 2 m3 Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR) was set up in QUU Luggage Point Innovation Centre to treat domestic wastewater. Energy evaluation and critical flux test will then be done to assess and compare the membrane fouling control using a novel reciprocation method and conventional gas scouring.

Membrane Biofilm Reactor (MBfR) with anammox and DAMO microorganism, on the other hand has demonstrated good nitrogen removal ability at lab scale. A two-stage CH4-based MBfR will be built to treat the effluent from mainstream partial nitritation. The possibility of other configuration is to be explored, such as one-stage O2-based MBfR which will be fed with effluent directly from the AnMBR. The impacts of real wastewater on the community structure and nitrogen removal performance are imperative to assess the feasibility of upscaling and mainstream application.